Evaluation of renewable and zero emissions heating systems in affordable housing projects

This document is an evaluation of renewable and zero emissions heating systems in Scottish affordable housing, aimed at supporting the Scottish Government's net zero emissions goal by 2045. The evaluation, conducted by Charlotte Mitchell and Philippa Hardy, analyzed cost data, conducted stakeholder interviews, and applied various methodological approaches across 21 housing projects. It found that low and zero carbon generating technologies (LZCGTs) are crucial for sustainability but come with higher costs, affecting tenant affordability and usability. Recommendations include better monitoring and education on system usage. The report also highlights the role of regulations, funding, and supply chain in heating system decisions and the motivations for adopting LZCGTs, such as climate change goals and tenant needs. The evaluation suggests that while higher sustainability standards can increase costs, factors like project size and location are also influential. It recommends that the Scottish Government support LZCGT uptake, improve cost transparency, and address tenant costs to avoid fuel poverty. The importance of data monitoring, tenant satisfaction, and sharing best practices is emphasized to promote energy-efficient technologies in housing. The document includes appendices and is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: The Scottish Government (The Scottish Government)
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Process evaluation
• Process methods: Other
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: October 2021

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Links to published evaluations (DEBUGGING): No final report link found.
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes